Electric signal for railways.



No. 886,993. I PVATENTED MAY 5, 1908. A. KUZBL. ELECTRIC SIGNAL FOE EAILWAYS.

APPLICATION PILED'DEG.30.1907. I

2 SHEETS-SEEET l.

V971 TNESSES N. s 9 P TENT Y5 1908.

o s 6, 9s A KUZEL. A L ED MA ELECTRIC SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS.

. APPLICATION FILED DEO,30.190'7.

' 2 SHEBTS-?SHEET 2.

l llllI l l l llllll UNITED s'rA'rEs PATENT o EILoE.

ANTON -K UZEL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL non nAI'LwAYs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908..

Application filed December so, 1907. Serial No. 408,612.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON KUZEL, citizen ofthe United States, residing at Cleveland,

in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signals for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric safety signals for railways, and more particularly one for preventing head on colisions upon curves. or other dangerous portions of a railway track.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a curve in a railway track showing my invention applied thereto, two a proaching locomotives being indicated in otted'lines; Fig.-

2 is a side 'elevationof the track and portions of the invention, a locomotive being shown in dotted lines to indicate the arrangement of the apparatus thereon; Figs. 3 and 4t are respectively front and rear perspective views of the circuit closing device upon the locomotive; Figs. 5, 6, 'and 7 are detail sectional views taken respectively upon the planes indicated by the lines 55, 6-6, and

My improved signal apparatus is designed" to protect dangerous points in railway tracks, such for instance as curves where the engineer upon a train cannot see an approachin train; and it consists of an electric signa apparatus located upon each locomotive and adapted to be actuated by trip-devices located along the dangerous portion of the track and controlled by one of the locomotives. v

In the preferred embodiment of the invention I provide in the cab of,the locomotive a signal 1 such as an electric lamp and include it in the circuit 2 of a battery 3 or other electric generator. In this electric circuit 2 is also included one or more circuit closers 4 adapted to be actuated by trip devices 5 arranged along the track A.

' I preferably provide, two of the circuit closers and locate them upon opposite sidesof the locomotive at its front, so that the de the contact members 9. The lower on the trip levers are connected to each other by vices 5 which are upon one side only of the track, will actuate one when the locomotive,

moves in one direction and the other-when it movesinthe opposite direction.

Each of the circuit closers 4 is mounted upon one end of a transverse. beam 6 of wood,

or other non-conducting material, and consists. of a stationary contact member 7f formed with a tapered notch or opening 8 to receive a swinging contact member orle'ver.

9 pivotally suspended at its upper end from a bracket 10. Themember 9 hangs vertically and is normally out of engagement.

with the member 7, and it also hangs so that its lower end will be struck and moved rearwardly into the notch or fork 8 by the trip devices 5 when the latter are elevated to an operative position as presentlyexplained.

- In order to enable the engineer to break the circuit 2 after it has been closed, I preferably provide upon the locomotive a transverse rock shaft 11- having at its ends angular crank arms 12 to actuate the members or levers 9 in a forward direction. Said shaft is also provided with an intermediate crank arm 13 connected a link 14 to a bell-crank,

15 which latter is in turn connected by a link 16 to a hand lever 17 located within the locomotive cab.

The trip devices 5 are arranged at suitable distances apart along the dangerous art of .the track and the portions adjacent t ereto,

'andeach is in the form of a bell-crank or lever suitably pivoted intermediate its ends and having its upper end bent at right angles or horizontally to .provide an arm 18 to en age of links 19 so that they will move in unison and be simultaneously raised or lowered into or out of the path of the contact members 9, by means of throw levers 20, 21, 22. 20, 21 are arranged at the ends of theprotected part of the track and one or more of the levers 22 may be arranged between the levers 20, 21. Said levers 20 is in the form of a crank on one end of a transverse rock shaft .23 journaled in bearings in casing 24 located beneath the track. Upon the outer end of the shaft 23-is a crank arm 25 to which may be connected one or more of the links 19, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The lever 21 is piv-- oted intermediate its ends 1n a casing 26 and has upon its lower end a gear segment 27 which, meshes with a similar gear segment 28 carried by one end of a rock shaft-ZQsuitably The levers journaled, in the casing 26 and having at its outer end a crank arm 30 to which latter is connected one of the links 19. It will be seen that this construction will cause the tri devices 5 to be raised when a locomotive (moving in the direction of the arrow 1) in Fig. 1) actuates the lever 20 and to be lowered when said locomotive actuates the lever 21. The lever 22 is similar in construction and operation to the lever 20 and upon the outer end of its rock shaft is a crank arm 25 which is similar to the arm 25 and connected to two ofthe links 19. The throw lever or levers 22 are provided to insure the elevation of the tri devices or levers 5 should, for any reason, t 1e lever 20 fail in its operation.

For the purpose of causing the levers 20, 21, 22 to be automaticallyact-uated by a pass ing locomotive, 1 provide upon the latter a trip lever 31 which has its upper end suitably pivoted at 32 and its free end depending and adapted to engage and actuate the said throw levers 20,. 21, 22. The lever 31 is yieldably retained in its vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, by still coil springs connected to opposite sides of the lever at their inner ends and to suitable parts of the locomotive at their outer ends. These springs pull in o p posite directions and are of equal strength to maintain the lever vertical. Each of said springs is, however, of sufficient strength to actuate one of the throw levers as it engages and passes the same.

In operation, assuming the locomotive to be moving in the direction of the arrow b in Fig.1, when its trip lever 31. actuates the I, throw lever 20, the trip devices or levers 5 will be simultaneously raised to an operative position or into the path of cont act members 9 on both'the locomotive B and the locomotive C (see Fig. 1) which is moving toward the locomotive B. W hen one of the members 9 on each of the locomotives strikes one of the devices 5, it will be forced into the notch 8 of the coacting contact member 7 and the electric circuit 2 on each locomotive will be thus completed to warn the engineer of danger. When these circuits are comleted the lamps 1 become lighted, but it will be understood that other signal or alarm (16? vices may be used. hen the locomotive B passes'the lever 21, the trip devices or levers 5 will be moved in the opposite direction that is, lowered to an inoperative position.

I have shown the apparatus applied to a steam locomotive but it will be understood that it may be used upon an electric car or engine or any similar vehicle.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my im roved safety signal ap )aratus will effective y prevent head-on col 'sions and that it is exceeding simple, in construction, comparatively inexpensive to install, and reliable in operation.-

While I have shown and described the precircuit closer in said circuit and havin a horizontally disposed stationary member provided with a forked portion, and a vertically disposed swinging contact member pivotally suspended from its upper end to hang in advance of and out of contact with the forked portion of the stationary member, the lower free end of said swinging member being adapted to be engaged and actuated by the trip device, substantially as set forth.

2. In a safety electric signal for-railways, the combination of a trip device upon a track, asignal circuit upon a locomotive, a circuit closer in said circuit and having a horizontally disposed stationary member provided witha forked portion, a vertically disposed swinging contact member pivotally suspended from its upper end to hang in ad- Vance of and out of contact with the forked, portion of the stationary member, and means within reach of the engineer for retracting circuit closer in said circuit and having a i horizontally disposed stationary member provided with a forked portion, a vertically disposed swinging contact member pivotally suspended from its upper end to hang in ad vance of and out of contact with the forked portion of the stationary member, a double crank shaft having one crank arm arranged to engage the swinging contact member and release it from engagement with the stationary contact member, an operating device in the cab of the locomotive, and operative connections between said operating device and the othercrank arm of the double c'ranl shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. In a safety electric signal for railways, the combination of'a tripdevice upon the track, a cross beam upon a locomotive, staiio tionary contact plates upon the ends "of the beam and having forwardly projecting horizontal portions formed with notches, forwardly projecting'brackets upon the ends of the beam, swinging contact members pivoted at'their upper ends to said brackets and adapted to hang in advance of the notched portions of the stationary'contact plates, the lower ends of the swinging members being track for vertical swinging movement and signal and having one'branch connected to the two, stationary contact plates and its other branch connected to the two brackets, substantially as set forth.

5. In a railway safety signal, the combination with a signal apparatus carried by a locomotive and including a swinging member, of a plurality of trip levers pivoted along a track for vertical swinging movement and adapted to project into the path of said member when elevated, means connecting said levers for simultaneous operation, throw levers arranged upon the track for operating said trip l'ever, a trip lever pivoted at its upper end upon the locomotive and having its depending free end arranged to engage and operate said throw levers, and coil springs fixed at their outer ends to the locomotive and having their inner ends connected to opposite sides of the last mentioned trip lever, substantially as set forth,

-6. In a railway safety signal, the combination with a signal a paratus carried by a locomotive and inclu ing a swinging-member, of a plurality of trip levers pivoted along a adapted to reject into the path of said memher when e evated, links connecting said levers for simultaneous swmgingmovement,

throw levers arranged upon the track for actuating said trip levers, and a yieldably mounted tri lever u on the locomotive for A actuating sa d throw evers, substantially as set forth.

7. In a railway safety signal, the combination with a signal a paratus carried by a" locomotive and mcluc mg a'swmging member,

of a plurality of trip levers pivoted'along a track for vertical swinging movement and adapted to project into the path of said mem-v '50 ber when elevated, links connecting said levers for simultaneous swinging movement, a shaft upon the track, a crank arm upon said shaft and connected to one of said links, a

throw lever upon said shaft, asecond shaft upon the track, a crank upon said second shaft andconnected to one of said links, a gear segment u on said second shaft, a ivotally mounted t row lever and a secon gear segment upon the latter and in mesh with the first mentioned as set forth. i 8. In arailway safety signal, the combination with signal a paratus carried by a locomotive and includ a plurality of trip levers arranged along the track and pivoted intermediate their ends, links connecting said levers, rock shafts upon the track and having crank arms, links congear segment, substantially necting the latter to said triplevers, throw levers upon said shafts, and means upon the locomotive for actuating said throw levers. 9. In a railway safety signal, the combination with a signal apparatus carried by a locomotive and including a swinging member,

of a pluralityof trip levers pivoted along a track for vertical swinging movement and adapted to project into the path of said member when elevated, means connecting said levers for simultaneous swinging movement, a

throw lever connected to said connecting means for moving the trip levers in one direction, a second throw lever connected to said connecting means for actuating said trip levers in the opposite direction, and means upon the locomotive for actuating said throw levers, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANTON KUZEL.

Witnesses J. D. YoAKLEY, JOHN PERNAT.

mg a swinging member, of 65 

